Many existing wipes are impregnated with an antimicrobial solution for delivery to a contaminated surface. Unfortunately, however, many of the antimicrobial actives used in such wipes are undesirable due to their lack of environmental compatibility. While essential oils are known to be environmentally friendly and effective in combating microorganisms, they nevertheless suffer from significant problems. For example, essential oils are highly volatile and unstable in the presence of oxygen, which ultimately limits their effectiveness in most applications in which wipes are commonly employed (e.g., food service wipes). Attempts to overcome this problem often involve the use of a larger amount of the essential oils to prolong antimicrobial activity. Regrettably, this often just leads to another problem in that high concentrations of essential oils can cause damage to certain types of food products, such as fruit. As such, a need currently exists for an improved formulation for use in wipes that is safe, stable, and capable of providing antimicrobial activity over a period of time.